New Releases for October 23, 2015

“An expert fusion of pop, radio-rock and punk” – The Guardian. Available in Regular and Deluxe editions. Deluxe adds three bonus tracks.

Amberian Dawn – Innuendo CD (Napalm)

New album from the Finnish symphonic metallers.

Laurie Anderson – Heart Of A Dog [OST] CD (Nonesuch)

The complete soundtrack recording of Laurie Anderson’s newest piece, Heart Of A Dog. Anderson was recently commissioned by the European TV network Arte to create a feature film—her first in 30 years. Her response was a personal essay entitled Heart Of A Dog — a work encompassing joy and heartbreak and remembering and forgetting, at the heart of which is a lament for her late beloved dog Lolabelle.

Apprentice Destroyer – Glass Ceiling Universe CD/LP (Castle Face)

Recorded one track at a time at Guitar Center, completely in secret, Apprentice Destroyer’s debut Glass Ceiling Universe transcends its intriguing concept to highlight a hyperactive and omnivorous talent within. These wide-ranging, kaleidoscopic instrumental compositions veer from the disorienting complex to the achingly and delicately beautiful, all the while maintaining a metallic, misanthropic edge. It’s almost as if computers were playing to each other across the sales floor, laughing at the puny humans attempting to create harmonics in air when they can do so perfectly in the vacuum of binary. Lifestyle music for all the cyborg assassins out there.

Julien Baker – Sprained Ankle CD/LP (6131)

For years, Baker and a group of close friends have performed as the band Forrister (formerly The Star Killers), but when college took her four hours away, her need to continue creating found an outlet through solo work. The intent was never to make these songs her main focus, yet the process proved to be startlingly cathartic. As each song came into shape, it became more apparent that Baker had genuinely deep, surprisingly dark stories to tell from her thus far short life (she turns 20 this Fall). Tales of her experiences are staggering, and when set to her haunting guitar playing, the results are gut wrenching and heartfelt, relatable yet very personal. There’s something wonderfully hypnotizing about Baker gently confessing her soul with such tremendous honesty.

Basement Jaxx – Junto Remixed CD (PIAS America)

Junto is Basement Jaxx’s seventh studio album, originally released last year. Junto Remixed is an eclectic collection of remixes courtesy of some of the most exciting and forward thinking producers including The Martinez Brothers, Wayward and Luciano among others.

Beat Connection – Product 3 CD/LP+MP3 (ANTI-)

What began as a party-starting DJ duo at the University of Washington, has since blossomed into a four-piece that brings the beats with an incandescent, sample-heavy sound that has quickly evolved to a rock fan’s fantasy of exactly what a live electronic show should be. Their latest single “So Good” has been garnering rave reviews in the blogosphere where JOVM.com calls it “a breezy, pop-confection that seems to subtly channel Junip and classic ‘80s synth pop where shimmering guitar chords… and swirling electronics are paired with an effortlessly soulful voice and an incredibly catchy, arena-friendly hook.” Product 3 also features “Another Go Around”, which COS calls “peppered with the wondrous echo of groovy sitar strings, the track is equal parts funk jam and breezy pop ballad. They may be from one of the nation’s most overcast cities, but their bubbly electropop is a sunny afternoon jam of the highest order.” (Limited copies now available on blue vinyl. Regular black vinyl edition due November 20.)

This double-CD set includes many highlights from Cream, his solo efforts and the ’90s trio which reunited him with Cream drummer, Ginger Baker and guitarist Gary Moore. The late Jack Bruce was best known as the bassist and vocalist in the seminal and acclaimed power trio, Cream, (which also featured Eric Clapton). As an accomplished multi-instrumentalist, his musical skills sparkled in Cream and he applied that knowledge when he ventured out as a soloist.

Kenny Burrell – The Road To Love CD (HighNote)

Here Burrell is backed by some of his favorite West Cost colleagues in a varied program of standards and few originals by the leader himself, including one brand new composition.

Vanessa Carlton – Liberman 2xCD (Dine Alone)

Liberman” is the fifth studio album by singer/songwriter and pianist Vanessa Carlton. “With the release of her first record in over two years, acclaimed pop-rock songstress Vanessa Carlton dives headfirst back into the fray with an entirely new and explorative sound. Liberman is folky, brooding and yet breathtakingly free-spirited” – American Songwriter. Double-CD set features a bonus disc of eight “Living Room Sessions.” Vinyl version due November 20.

Tommy Castro & The Painkillers – Method To My Madness CD (Alligator)

From the opening one-two punch of everyman anthems “Common Ground” and “Shine A Light” to the full-tilt energy of the title track to the searing, deep soul ballad “Died And Gone To Heaven,” Tommy and the band are firing on all cylinders. From the bayou rock of “Got A Lot” and the atmospheric, autobiographical “Ride” to the reinvented version of the Clarence Carter hit “I’m Qualified” and the emotional cover of B.B. King’s “Bad Luck,” Tommy Castro & The Painkillers continue to break new ground while simultaneously having an incredible amount of fun.

Circus Devils – Stomping Grounds CD/LP (Happy Jack Rock)

Stomping Grounds blasts off with a full side of brash, catchy rock ‘n’ roll featuring the vocal bravado of Robert Pollard at full tilt. The album’s flipside takes a detour into more psychedelic territory, offering a mixture of weird and pretty vignettes. Themes include the wasteland of regimented work-ruled living, sexually active geezers, lost girls, sick doctors and impressionistic recollections of the stomping grounds of boyhood. The album closes with the standout track “Sunflower Wildman (Remember Him?),” an anthemic, prog-rock story song about a shut-in with dementia who chases boys away from his sunflower-choked yard.

Citizens – European Soul CD (Kitsune)

European Soul is an album aimed squarely at the dance-floor, which very much takes ‘soul’ as it’s musical cue, it’s a record that’s both futuristic and profoundly positive. Talking about the title of the album lead singer Tom Burke. Explained. “This title is more ideological than political. It suggests the idea of sharing, of inclusion, and the will to be fearless in the face of change.” The track listing was recorded in Paris with producer Laurent d’Herbecourt (who collaborated on Phoenix’s last album.)

Cold Fronts – Forever, Whatever CD (Sire/London)

Chiming guitars mix with cruising bass lines, drums punch, and leader Craig Almquist’s vocals clip along joyfully, often hitting falsetto high notes before soaring into power choruses. His lyrics toe the line of mystery, with cryptic references to relationships of unknown size and shape.

Coldrain – Vena CD (Hopeless)

Coldrain are back with their 2015 follow up to The Revelation. On Vena, the Japanese rockers set their sights on new territory while bringing their brand of heavy rock.

Harry Connick Jr. – That Would Be Me CD (Columbia)

For the first time in his career, Connick took a step outside his musical comfort zone to work in the studio with two “external” producers on this album — the acclaimed Eg White (Sam Smith, Adele, Florence And The Machine) and Butch Walker (Taylor Swift, Katy Perry, Pink, Weezer). That Would Be Me was recorded in London with White and Nashville with Walker. The result is a carefully crafted record full of surprises and stirring musical conjurations, delivering 11 new songs and new insights into his artistry.

Corrections House – Know How To Carry A Whip CD/LP (Neurot)

Know How To Carry A Whip is darker, denser, and more despairing than its predecessor Last City Zero. This 45-minute audio apocalypse was captured by the band’s own Sanford Parker and recently institutionalized minister of propaganda, Seward Fairbury, in Vietnam. Boasting a guest appearance by Negative Soldier, Know How To Carry A Whip finds features the fiery lineup of Parker, Fairbury, Scott Kelly (Neurosis), Bruce Lamont (Yakuza) and Mike IX Williams (Eyehategod) at their most punishing, painting electronic mosaics of deviance and decadence with brushes made from bristles of the damned.

The Cox Family – Gone Like The Cotton CD (Rounder)

“Like the Cox Family’s previous efforts, Gone Like The Cotton is built on a solid country-music foundation with sensational harmony singing and inspired song selection … the Coxes haven’t missed a beat, a tasty instrumental lick, or a sterling vocal performance in spite of the nearly two decades between the album’s late 20th-century start and glorious 2015 finish.” – Rolling Stone

“Sunny Day Real Estate started the race strong with their early 90’s releases Diary and LP2. Generously bringing a distinct sound to the table with their heart-wrenching lyrics, compassionate vocal, and climactic, melancholy guitar lines, the genre of “Midwestern-emo” was formed. Mineral, The Promise Ring, and the like completed their leg of the race with fervor, adding their own take on the sound. Elsewhere, American Football was softening this distinct aesthetic, but managing to keep this particular team in the race with their pretty, delicate sound and emotional lyrics that related pretty directly to Sunny Day. Please excuse the excessive name-dropping, but Empire! Empire! (I Was A Lonely Estate) and their new release What It Takes To Move Forward is directly relevant to these past experiments into the Midwestern-emo, ‘90s sound” – Sputnik Music. (Limited copies pressed on colored vinyl.)

Fuzz – II CD/2xLP+MP3 (In The Red)

“Garage rock maven Ty Segall is a notable figure on the American rock landscape for (among a great many things) his prolific catalogue of projects, contributions and collaborations. He represents the prioritization of production of preciousness. At a positively precocious twenty-eight years old, with boyish complexion, simpering grin and dimples still in tact, Segall has contributed his hazy stamp to more records than most musicians three times his age. In his Fuzz costume, Segall sheds a lot of skin.” — Bearded

Dave Gahan & Soulsavers – Angels & Ghosts CD (Columbia)

Listeners can expect to be led through an aural mix of dark, brooding sounds, elements inspired by gospel and blues, and the stark beauty that has become a signature of Dave & Soulsavers works. Dave Gahan’s emotionally powerful voice has never sounded better, and drives the album forward over a landscape of meticulously crafted instrumentation. A transatlantic collaboration, the writing process started with Dave Gahan and Soulsavers’ Rich Machin exchanging demos and ideas from their respective studios in lower Manhattan and rural England. They then recorded the album with additional musicians in studios around the world, including classic locations such as Sunset Sound in Los Angeles and Electric Lady in New York. The end result is a vibrant, live-sounding album, and proof of the “instant and obvious fit” Machin felt writing with Gahan. Vinyl version due December 4.

Grave Digger – Exhumation: The Early Years CD (Napalm)

Grave Digger, along with bands like Running Wild, Rage, Sinner, and early Helloween spearheaded the Teutonic metal scene in Germany in the early ‘80s. This new compilation presents a new take on the band’s classic recordings in a wistful look back at that decade.

Half Moon Run – Sun Leads Me On CD/LP (Glassnote)

“Montreal four-piece Half Moon Run stormed onto the Canadian indie scene back in 2012 with their debut full-length Dark Eyes. Now they follow it up with Sun Leads Me On. The new material was written between their hometown of Montreal and a surfing getaway to California, though recording took place at Ontario’s Bathouse Studios with acclaimed UK producer Jim Abbiss (Arctic Monkeys, Adele). And while the new set of songs ‘largely eschews the alt-folk melancholia’ of Dark Eyes, it does hear the band conveying concepts of beauty and honesty through unique instrumentation, classical arrangements and dark lyrics propelled by pulsating synths.” – Exclaim

Hierophants – Parallax Error CD/LP (Goner)

Hierophants are an original rock and roll group in 2015, and their songs are brief, to the point, every one a potential hit single. Hierophants are not an oldies group, they are not a glitter group, they don’t play boogie music and they don’t play the blues.

Joshua Hyslop – In Deepest Blue CD (Nettwerk)

Vancouver based singer/songwriter Joshua Hyslop returns with his sophomore album. Written in Nashville and finished back home in Canada, In Deepest Blue reflects every facet of Joshua Hyslop culminating with the realization that “Yes, times can be hard, but everybody has felt that way, everybody’s got their stuff, and you’re not alone in that.”

Brutal and complex, furious and spirit-evoking, spiking and descending, French band JC Satan’s self-titled fourth album nails black-garage-gospel with the hammer of the Viking gods, in the midst of a storm of decibels. Imagine Queens Of The Stone Age backing Serge Gainsbourg during Mexico’s Day Of The Dead.

Killing Joke – Pylon 2xCD (Spinefarm)

16th studio album by the veteran British post-punk outfit fronted by Jaz Coleman and backed by the original lineup. Pylon isn’t for a quiet night at home; these 10 tracks, produced by the band and Tom Dalgety (Royal Blood) are very much music as ritual — raw, uncompromising and targeted lyrically.

Brock Landers – Introducing Brock Landers CD (Pacific Ridge)

Post-hardcore with a gentle touch of progressiveness.

Like Moths To Flames – The Dying Things We Live For CD (Rise)

Like Moths To Flames have been spending the past 5 years building a name for themselves in the metal-core community. The Dying Things We Live For is their third album. Vinyl version due December 18.

Marianas Trench – Astoria CD (Cherrytree/Interscope)

The Vancouver-based quartet’s front man Josh Ramsay describes the album as a loose concept record based around the band’s love of 1980s fantasy and adventure films.

Motel Beds – Mind Glitter CD/LP (Anyway)

“A sun spotted psych pop cousin of post-Britpop Supergrass.” — MOJO

Shawn Mullins – My Stupid Heart CD (Sugar Hill)

Forging influences from folk and punk to jazz and Broadway musicals with pop-leaning melodic sensibilities, Shawn Mullins crafts memorable, affecting tunes that cross many genres on his all new album, My Stupid Heart.

Nasties – Discipline CD (Sudden Death)

Debut LP from raucous Canadian punkers featuring members of myriad Canadian punk mainstays.

Joanna Newsom – Divers CD/2xLP/Cassette (Drag City)

“Dive, listener, knowing that your next hour will be filled with diversions aplenty: a wheeling circuit of sci-fi sea-shanties and cavalier ballads, narrated from parts unknown; a family of polysemic song-sets; a paranomasaic Liederkreis of harmonic sympathies and knotted hierarchies; a fanfare of brazen puns and martial lullabies, blazing in sorrow and horseplay and love, in turns symphonic and spare, joined by Mellotrons and Marxophones and Moogs, clavichords and celestas and of course the harp, thrumming its threnodies of circadian invasions and avian irruptions and strange loops of Shepard-toned resonant-frequencies and something called goddamned Simulacreage…”

Kyle Park – The Blue Roof Sessions CD (Kyle Park Music)

The Southern country musician takes a stab at songs with a harder rock ‘n’ roll edge.

Pentimento – I, No Longer CD (Bad Timing)

Vinyl due November 13. “[I, No Longer] sees the band combining the best of early 2000s emo (Taking Back Sunday and Spitalfield come to mind) with the anthemic hooks of western New York contemporaries like Polar Bear Club and Such Gold. The result is 12 introspective, well-produced pop punk songs that reassert the band three years after the disaster surrounding its first record.” – Noisy (Music By Vice)

Houston Person – Something Personal CD (HighNote)

When it comes to soul jazz, Person has been at the top of the genre for more years than he may care to admit. Through all the different styles coursing through those decades — from hard bop, through fusion, to avant-garde — Person has been steadfast in his dedication. All of Houston Person’s trademarks are present on Something Personal.

Petal – Shame CD/LP/Cassette (Run For Cover)

Petal has always been a deeply personal project for songwriter and lead singer Kiley Lotz. Shame, the band’s debut LP three years in the making, is a honest and perceptive exploration of the album’s namesake. These twelve tracks recall the elastic indie rock of Death Cab For Cutie and Pedro The Lion — sometimes somber, sometimes upbeat, but always beautifully and thoughtfully crafted.

Pure Bathing Culture – Pray For Rain CD/LP+MP3 (Partisan)

“Portland BTW alumni Pure Bathing Culture return with Pray For Rain, the follow-up to 2013 debut Moon Tides. [The title track] adds new oomph to the duo’s crystalline transcendental yacht-pop. It’s still recognizable as the band behind ‘Pendulum,’ but there’s a brisk uptempo drum programming, and both the synths and the guitars pulsate with new urgency and rawness. It reminds me of the way My Bloody Valentine’s sound jolted into a new gear on Loveless closer ‘Soon.’ Speaking with Interview, Sarah Versprille credited producer John Congleton for the shift toward the visceral: ‘John was demanding in our abandonment of clichés. The songs aren’t covered up by a production concept [like they were on Moon Tides] … It was hard and uncomfortable for us plenty of times. It changed us, and the way we think about our music. It was much more of a passage between places than an arrival.’” – Stereogum

The Saddest Landscape – Darkest Forgiveness CD/LP (Topshelf)

New release from the screamo band.

Seaway – Color Blind CD (Pure Noise)

Seaway is a five-piece pop/punk band from Oakville, Ontario Canada. The band recently finished up a successful run on the 2015 Vans Warped Tour. Vinyl version due November 13.

Seinabo Sey – Pretend CD (Virgin)

Pretend is a pop album saturated in soul and full of big melodic songs and forward thinking production (courtesy of Madonna collaborator Magnus Lidehäll) that draws on real, sometimes painfully relatable moments.

Shadow In The Cracks – Shadow In The Cracks CD/LP (Goner)

Side-project from brothers Jim and Mike Blaha, who constitute 66.6% of Minneapolis garage punk trio The Blind Shake. Shadows In The Cracks “refers to the darker part of the dark,” explains Jim.

The Shifting Sands – Cosmic Radio Station CD/LP (Fishrider)

Beamed into the Pacific ether from a woolshed and a tumbledown house perched on the hills above Port Chalmers during a period of heightened solar flare and aurora activity, Cosmic Radio Station “delves into the angular, chiming, hypnotic drone-pop of the city’s early-’80s Flying Nun clan,” according to the Otago Daily Times, “in more psychedelic shades.” The Shifting Sands drip sun-dazed melody through a shifting haze of fuzzy, chiming guitars, shimmering strings, and vocal harmonies.

Shining – International BlackJazz Society CD (Spinefarm)

Norway’s Shining have created a genre they call BlackJazz. “For a band that started as an acoustic jazz quartet and morphed, more recently, into extreme metal, Blackjazz actually represents a slight turn into the accessible. Nothing here is going to drive you crazy (save for a couple of sax-fueled instrumentals).” – Metal Sucks

Matthew Shipp Trio – Conduct Of Jazz CD (Thirsty Ear)

“Matthew Shipp is the American Piano Jazz Mature Secret” as printed in Norway’s biggest newspaper, Aftenposten. Continuing …“In the shadow of Cecil Taylor and Keith Jarrett, he has played out his individuality through three decades. He can be described as a cross between the two giants, but he exceeds both, with its ownership of the blues and the free expression’s inherent possibilities.” Powerful thoughts from afar but strikingly rich in their poignant affirmation of Shipp’s talent. Mr. Shipp is no stranger to recording and no stranger to receiving accolades from the press. But with the release of The Conduct Of Jazz, one will hear with remarkable clarity that these words are not just prophetic but are exceedingly apt for a player whose time has come.

Soundtrack – The Peanuts Movie CD (Epic)

Original soundtrack to the 2015 animated motion picture. The soundtrack was created with the help of movie director Steve Martino. Features new recordings of Vince Guaraldi classics “Linus And Lucy” and “Skating” as well as original music from Christophe Beck who brought us Frozen. Also features Meghan Trainor performing “Better When I’m Dancin’.” Vinyl version due November 6

The Space Lady/Burnt Ones – Split CD/LP+MP3 (Castle Face)

In her inimitable style The Space Lady sparkles through “Across The Universe,” “Starman,” a brand-new original called “The Next Right Thing” and an achingly elegaic “Somewhere Over The Rainbow.” These beautiful tunes are wonderful additions to her lovely repertoire. For their half, Burnt Ones mellow down their sound, crafting a warm cocoon on two kaliedoscopic creepers, peaking just a little with a floweringly spaced-out version of the Space Lady’s greatest hit, “Synthesize Me,” and closing with another druggy lullaby.

Rod Stewart – Another Country CD/2xLP (Capitol)

The 29th studio album by the veteran British singer/songwriter was produced by Stewart and Kevin Savigar. Stewart stated that album cut “Batman Superman Spiderman” was written about bedtime stories that he would tell his youngest son, Aiden Patrick Stewart, based around the three fictional superheroes. The album’s title track, “Another Country” was inspired by Stewart’s respect for the armed forces — a respect influenced by his birth occurring shortly before the end of the Second World War – and consequent musing on life in the armed forces, particularly regarding the emotions generated by being apart from loved ones. Available in Regular and Deluxe editions. Deluxe includes three bonus tracks.

Carrie Underwood – Storyteller CD (Arista)

Fifth album from the country/pop music superstar.

Walter Trout – Battle Scars CD/LP+MP3 (Provogue)

New album from the blues guitarist. With bristling energy, unflagging virtuosity and lyrics that cut to the core of human hope and willpower, Walter Trout’s new album Battle Scars chronicles his horrific battle with liver failure.

Vhol – Deeper Than Sky CD (Profound Lore)

When their debut album was released in 2013, Vhol was a surprise to many with preconceived notions of what a new band comprised of two ex-Ludicra members would sound like. The project began when John Cobbett of Hammers of Misfortune and Aesop Dekker of Agalloch reunited with the desire to make music again, and the lineup gelled with the addition of bassist Sigrid Sheie (also of Hammers of Misfortune ex-Amber Asylum) and Yob mastermind Mike Scheidt on vocals. Despite an extensive history of past projects, Vhol is a unique new musical group in which each member re-discovers their old-school metal roots. With their new album Deeper Than Sky, Vhol present something totally next-level, taking the sounds of their debut even further into the outer realms of sonic exploration yet remaining within the old-school speed metal paradigm.

A Will Away – Bliss CD (Triple Crown)

A Will Away is a new band on the scene with a sound that draws influences from elements of melodic pop and the nostalgically heartfelt early 2000s emo movement.

Earlier this year, Lynyrd Skynyrd performed their first two studio albums, Pronounced ‘L h-‘nérd ‘Skin-‘nérd and Second Helping, live in their entirety for the first time, at two specially staged concerts at the Florida Theater in their home town of Jacksonville, Florida.

This concert film features material from Martin and Brickell’s album Love Has Come For You, as well as music from Martin’s Grammy-nominated collaboration with The Steep Canyon Rangers, Rare Bird Alert, and his album The Crow: New Songs For the Five-String Banjo. Backed by the virtuoso playing of the Steep Canyon Rangers, the songs on Martin and Brickell’s new album combine Martin’s inventive five- string banjo playing with Brickell’s heart-tugging vocals to create a playful and accessible collection of songs.

Shpongle – Live At Red Rocks DVD (Twisted)

After five years of touring around the world, Shpongle return with a live set filmed at Red Rocks, Colorado.

This Week’s Vinyl Exclusives:

A Frames – A Frames [Reissue/2002] LP (S-S)

A Frames – 2 [Reissue/2003] LP (S-S)

Vinyl reissue of the Seattle post-punk band’s first and second albums. Their self-titled debut is a garage punk attack on Wire, Devo and Joy Division. 2 took their post-punk-cum-KBD/garage sound and expanded and twisted it.

Admiral Fallow – Tiny Rewards LP+MP3 (Nettwerk)

Released last May on CD – now available on vinyl. Tiny Rewards follows-up 2012’s critically acclaimed Tree Bursts In Snow, an album that saw the band shed the constraints of nu-folk and swell into a more organic design, blending traditional with electronic, orchestral and indie. This album sees the band continue on the same expansive path.

Beatseeker – Love Song 7” (Secret Mission)

The two songs on here are pure punk/pop that Japan was made famous for by the likes of Supersnazz and the mighty Shonen Knife.

Moanin’ was originally recorded in 1958. This was Blakey’s first album for Blue Note in several years, after a period of recording for a miscellany of labels, and marked both a homecoming and a fresh start. Originally the LP was self-titled, but the instant popularity of the bluesy opening track “Moanin’” (by pianist Bobby Timmons) led to it’s becoming known by that title. The album stands as one of the archetypal hard bop albums of the era, for the intensity of Blakey’s drumming and the work of Morgan, Golson and Timmons, and for it’s combination of old-fashioned gospel and blues influences with a sophisticated modern jazz sensibility. Part of Blue Note’s 75th anniversary essential vinyl reissue campaign.

Mariah Carey – Merry Christmas [1994] LP (Sony Legacy)

First time on vinyl in the US. Limited red vinyl pressing including an extra song not available on CD version.

Chicos De Nazca – Blowing Inside LP+MP3 (BYM)

The group’s characteristic gentle and psychedelic repertoire—in which the rhythm and keyboards are essential to keep the songs afloat—owes a bedt to the generation of rock bands that sprung from the post-acid house fever of 1988 in Chicago and England. A soundtrack for a trip to a place of dreams.

Patrick Cowley – Kickin’ In LP (Honey Soundsystem)

In 2007 Honey Soundsystem was contacted by the former owner of Megatone Records John Hedges. Hedges’ was moving to Palm Springs and invited us over to his basement to collect over 2,000 records from his collection. Among the archives we noticed three moldy boxes of quarter inch reel to reel tapes. Included was the final mixed down reel for “Kickin’ In”, an epic 12-minute journey through disco, that Patrick recorded with Loverde in 1978. From the two minute plus drum solo that builds up to the introduction of a bouncing arpeggiated Prophet IV and the harmonized vocals, all transport the listener to another realm.

Miles Davis – Volume 2 [Reissue/1956] LP (Blue Note)

Volume 2 was made at a point in Davis’ life when he was struggling with heroin addiction, and in his autobiography Davis remembers that he, Jimmy Heath, and Art Blakey were all very high in the studio. Davis also states that the song title “C.T.A.” was named after Heath’s girlfriend Connie Theresa Ann. The 12” LP was originally released in 1956 (following Miles Davis Volume 1 after Davis won the Down Beat readers poll as best trumpeter. Part of Blue Note’s 75th anniversary essential vinyl reissue campaign.

Deafheaven – New Bermuda 2xLP+MP3 (ANTI-)

Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. San Francisco’s Deafheaven found massive critical success when their 2013 album Sunbather was an unexpected crossover hit, earning the band a 92/100 Metacritic score and ending the year as the best reviewed album of 2013. No one could have anticipated a band that drew from equal parts Weakling and My Bloody Valentine ascending to such heights, and that incomprehensibility added to the band’s singularity and allure. Two years later, founding members George Clarke and Kerry McCoy began working on their ANTI debut, New Bermuda, with a new perspective. Says Clarke: “Sunbather yearned for something better. New Bermuda focuses on the idea of false promise, achieving something and wondering if it’s what you really wanted in the first place.” McCoy shares that sentiment: “Sunbather sounds like people who have nothing but are satisfied with life. There’s an uplifting quality to it. But New Bermuda is a very tense record.” McCoy cites death metal demigods Dissection and Morbid Angel, the blackened death pioneers Behemoth, and Cliff Burton-era Metallica as influences on the new album. (Deluxe vinyl with embossed and foil-stamped sleeves.)

First-time reissue of an elusive ’80s cult classic. For fans of Television Personalities, Guided By Voices, Cleaners From Venus.

Jackie Evancho – Awakening [2014] LP (Razor & Tie)

Limited gold vinyl pressing of Evancho’s 2014 album. Awakening signals some new directions for the platinum-selling artist. Without foregoing the beautiful and lush classical-crossover compositions for which Evancho has become famous, she also extends her stylistic reach with contemporary material on songs such as the haunting folk song “The Rains Of Castamere” from HBO’s Game Of Thrones. Jackie also takes a bigger step forward on her version of U2’s “With Or Without You,” and also sings a few original songs including the anthem “Take Me There” and “Open Fields Of Grace,” which were written especially for her.

Exhaustion – Phased Out 12” (12xU)

On subterranean flight from the antipodes, Exhaustion scrape together this carry-on wedge of pulsing malfunction. A single-note wrassles with manual techno via heady doses of tabletop manipulation. Long-gone are the Les Rallizes nods and in strolls a hijacked Mr. Walker—after a bad day at work—delivering cavalier prayers to end the race. But why end there? It’s all dust and low voltage glitter now.

Flaming Lips – Imagene Peise – Atlas Eets Christmas [2007] LP (WB)

Atlast Eets Christmas was previously released in a very limited physical quantity on CD only under the pseudonym Imagene Peise (with a sticker that read “Love Is The Answer – Merry Christmas From The Flaming Lips 2007”). The pseudonym Imagene Peise is a John Lennon- esque spelling of ”Imagine Peace,” ala Lennon’s wonsaponatime, and likewise the album title sounds-out “At last, it’s Christmas.” The alias credits are similarly punning: Imagene Peise – Piano Ominog Bangh – Laughing/Crying Glider Synthesizer Shineyu Bhupal – Drones, Sitar, and Baritone Tambura.

Long String Instrument is composer Ellen Fullman’s first recorded document of her self-made instrument of long strings. An enchanting drone from the elongated strings dissolves into organ-like overtones and otherworldly textures. Features Arnold Dreblatt. Recommended for fans of Pauline Oliveros, Charlemagne Palestine, Harry Bertoia.

Funeral Advantage – Body Is Dead LP+MP3 (Native Sound)

After two years and multiple EPs and split releases, Funeral Advantage drops their debut LP, Body Is Dead, serving as an excellent introduction to the indie/dream-pop of Tyler Kershaw. Following on the heels of the split with Former Ghosts, the new album incorporates many of the electronic and indie rock elements of that release, infused with an even deeper semblance of pop. “There is a fine line between dream-pop gold & listlessness, but Funeral Advantage has slipped into the ideal state of reverie.” – Noisey (Music By Vice)

A triple-LP release from Bryan Gillig, who combines elements of indie-rock, folk, world music and more, with a unique result.

Goo Goo Dolls – Dizzy Up The Girl [1998] LP (WB)

First time on vinyl. In most parts of the world, Dizzy Up The Girl is the Goo Goo Dolls’ most successful album to date, selling over three million copies.

John Grant – Grey Tickles, Black Pressure 2xLP+CD (Partisan)

Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Grant’s (Sinead O’Connor, Goldfrapp, Elton John) third solo album features lush strings and electronic influences with his singular wit and brutal candor. The album opens in an unsettling swirl of overlapping male voices repeating 1 Corinthians 13:4 in English and Icelandic before dissolving into fuzz, and closes with the same passage read clearly, this time by a young girl. In between, Grant’s depth and range are vividly present.

GZA – Liquid Swords [Reissue/1995] 2xLP (Geffen/UMe)

Liquid Swords is the second solo studio album from Wu-Tang Clan member GZA. Upon its initial release, the album received critical acclaim for its complex lyricism and hypnotic musical style. Over the years, its recognition has grown, with a number of famous publishers proclaiming it as one of the greatest hip-hop albums of all time. Reissued as part of UMe’s Respect The Classics campaign.

Haybaby – Sleepy Kids LP (Tiny Engines)

Haybaby’s debut LP lies somewhere between the art punk of Blonde Redhead and Sonic Youth, the classic indie rock of The Pixies and The Breeders, and the attitude of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. The band also sprinkles a little bit of sludge and noise pop into the mix and balances their raw energy with deceptive and captivating melodies.

Head North/Microwave – Split LP+MP3 (Bad Timing/SideOneDummy)

“SideOneDummy has been showing a lot of love for one of their newer bands, Microwave, so I was eager to listen to them and see what the buzz is all about. They’re described as blending elements of post-hardcore, me and Southern-tinged indie rock…. sounds about right! They remind me of Taking Back Sunday, Saves The Day and that whole era of music, so if you’re into that sh*t then definitely check these dudes out.” – Punk World Views

Hinds – Very Best Of Hinds So Far 12” (Mom + Pop)

“They’ve been described as a garage band, but Hinds don’t slot easily into a pigeonhole, indeed the tunes here could have appeared at any point in pop music’s history. ‘Castigadas En El Granero’ has a Buddy Holly feel, its introductory guitar chords and bass notes are then joined by swaggering drums and before the singing swoons in… With this collection of songs, Hinds and their music display charm, energy, wit and timeless tunefulness – everything that great pop music should be.” – The Line Of Best Fit

Don Howland – Life Is A Nightmare LP (12xU)

Recorded off and on between 2011 and 2015, Life Is A Nightmare is not simply yet another raw, misanthropic record by a not-entirely-happy elder statesperson revered in collector scum circles. It isn’t even the easy answer for a community radio programmer trying to ID the meat in a Skip James/Shadow Ring sandwich (though that’s certainly a target audience, if not for Don, certainly for the label). Rather, this album—as relentless, dark, and personal as any you’ll play this decade —makes a compelling case for Howland as one of the American underground’s true originals, regardless of genre.

H2O – Use Your Voice LP (Bridge 9)

Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Bicoastal hardcore punk pillars H2O return their first original studio album since 2008’s Nothing To Prove. While 2011’s covers album Don’t Forget Your Roots was a loving ode to their influences, Use Your Voice reignites H2O’s classic mix of melodic hardcore aggression and pop- punk bounce with plenty of personal manifestos inspirationally waxing poetic about love, hobby, and even being nurtured by a culture built on positivity and ethics, while remaining fun and jubilant.

HNY – Sacred Fire b/w Ghost 7” (Spleencoffin)

Minimal, jagged guitar chords, saturated percussion, and the distinct voice of Heather Nicole Young (ex-Social Junk) on the A Side—all blanketed in controlled feedback sweeps and a generous supply of delay. On the flip, a more environmental piece with paired voices (one effected, one bone dry), field-like synth sounds, and a faint low-end pulse riding just below the surface.

Hum – You’d Prefer An Astronaut [Reissue/1995] LP (SRcviny)

Two versions: Plain black, and white/green split colored vinyl LP represses housed in a matte finished gatefold sleeve. You’d Prefer An Astronaut is the Champaign, IL post-hardcore group’s third studio album. The 9-song set was first released in 1995 by RCA Records and serves as the band’s major label debut following the independently issued Fillet Show (1991) and Electra 2000 (1993).

Inca Eyeball – Barry White Comes LP (Spleencoffin)

The first new LP since 1999 by UK lo-fi underground veterans Phil Todd (Ashtray Navigations, Dogliveroil) and Joincey (Wagstaff, Dogliveroil)—notorious for incredibly short songs (typically two to thirty seconds of improv on cheap and broken instruments and pre-composed nonsensical lyrics) with verbose and frequently idiotic titles. Eighty-three tracks, individually banded. Classic, poorly recorded ineptitude.

The Intelligence – Vintage Future LP (In The Red)

Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Fittingly born at the dawn of the 21st Century, The Intelligence’s brand of art-smarm surf has become a touchstone for with-it rock ‘n’ roll of the era. Perhaps a surprising assertion, especially considering their primitive and personal origins, but one cemented by the dedication and continual reinvention fostered by main-brain Lars Aldric Finberg. For all their longevity and prolificacy, The Intelligence is a restless, ever-evolving vehicle for Finberg, showcasing his presumably patented knack for sharp pop songwriting that rides waves from both the past and heretofore unknown. Hence the emergence of Vintage Future, the band’s new album.

Jucifer – District Of Dystopia LP (Alternative Tentacles)

Jucifer, founded in Georgia in 1993, are pioneers of the sludge/doom/death metal two-piece. For their seventh full-length, Districts Of Dystopia, Jucifer mounts a sonic assault chronicling the corruption and gross misuse of power in our nation’s capitol.

The Knew – Schmew LP (Greater Than Collective)

Released last week on CD – now available on vinyl. Throughout three LPs, three 7”s, a couple EPs, and more than enough weirdo dietary habits, The Knew now hangs their collective cap on Schmew, a rock ‘n’ roll record that is quicker than their previous releases, denser than their former efforts, and heavier than their eight hangers combined. Part rock opera, part power pop, and totally stuffed full of strip-mall solos, Schmew is fringe-rock for those that are all in. Jacob, Ty, Tim and Andy (aka: the band) hope that you are one of those listeners.

Kendrick Lamar – To Pimp A Butterfly 2xLP (Aftermath)

Released earlier this year on CD – now available (officially) on vinyl. Following the success of his major label debut, good kid, m.A.A.d. city, in 2012, the rapper Kendrick Lamar’s long-awaited follow-up, To Pimp A Butterfly is about carrying the weight of that clarity: What happens when you speak out, spiritually and politically, and people actually start to listen? And what of the world you left behind?

Life Stinks – You’ll Never Make It LP (S-S)

Second album from the San Francisco ensemble — feelings of anger, self-doubt and vindictiveness weave through a sonic template that shifts from a Flipper/Fang arms-a-swingin’ groove to standout Velvet poppers, Stooge-oid stomping, and outright demented thuds.

Long Beard – Sleepwalker LP (Team Love)

Calculated to a degree that’s reminiscent of early Kranky Records acts like Labradford, Magnog or Bowery Electric as well as the constructions of groups like The Pale Saints, Cat’s Miaow or Lush, the sonic restrictions present on Sleepwalker make it singular in vision and thus intense to the ear. It spooks, it grows cold, it lifts up with tremendous beauty and then it turns so dim it becomes impossible to discern from the sounds of night.

Corb Lund – Things That Can’t Be Undone LP+MP3 (New West)

Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. “Corb Lund’s breed of country has been simmering comfortably under the mainstream radar for years. Born on the farming fields of Canada, he’s a cowboy who makes Alberta seem like the noir version of Hank Williams’ Nashville, where northern snow melts to melodic tears and dusty old cabins become weary honky-tonks. For his newest LP, Things That Can’t Be Undone, he enlisted ace producer Dave Cobb (Jason Isbell, Chris Stapleton) to infuse some new dynamics into his music: licks of Motown, ‘90s rock and Middle Eastern tones all weave their way into songs that often sound one way but mean something else entirely, delivered with a clever, restless wink and a quivery howl.” – Rolling Stone

Mastodon – Asleep In The Deep 12” (Reprise)

Limited edition picture disc 12″ vinyl pressing. “Asleep In The Deep,” from Mastodon’s 2014 cyclical opus Once More Around The Sun whose accompanying music video by artist Skinner portrays a cat’s experience on psychedelics. Mastodon orbits around themes of loss and rebirth, twirling a sonic spiral of its signature robust riffing, hypnotically haunting soundscapes, triage of dynamic voices, and thundering seismic grooves.

First-time vinyl reissue of sole album from UK DIY legends, originally released in 1983 on famed It’s War Boys imprint. For fans of Swell Maps, The Faust Tapes, LAFMS.

Morbid Slaughter – A Filthy Orgy Of Horror And Death LP (Boris)

As their new album title suggests, Morbid Slaughter explore the violent ecstasy of a psycho in the heat of the night with nightmarish themes of sexual carnage, necrolust, and brutality.

Ennio Morricone – The Big Gundown [OST/1968] 2xLP (Mondo)

Undoubtedly one of the finest Spaghetti scores recorded, Mondo is thrilled to present you with this brand new remaster with 25 tracks split across two heavyweight 45rpm records. The icing on the cake for this release has to be the insert that features an interview with Morricone, conducted especially for us. Wrapped in a beautiful gatefold sleeve by the legendary Geof Darrow.

Ennio Morricone – Metti, Una Sera A Cena [OST/1969] LP (BTF)

Metti, Una Sera A Cena is a 1969 movie directed by Joseph Patrons Griffi, made up from an eponymous theater script and especially transposed to the film medium. It immediately obtained success, and paved the road to success for actors Florinda Bolkan and Tony Musante in particular. So did the music written by Ennio Morricone, who in 1970 won the Nastro D’Argento Award for Best Score. Lounge sounds, bossa nova, jazz (especially the drums) and beat (usually still in vogue in the Italy of the late ’60s), seasoned with orchestral arrangements conducted by Bruno Nicolai, merge here to one of the most famous soundtrack of the Italian Maestro.

Motherf**ker – Confetti LP (Sickroom)

Forget the headphones, don’t bother to roll the windows down, leave the doors wide open. Motherf**ker needs access to your stereo and roughly half an hour of your time with their “punch-in-the-air” rock.

Mourning Coup – Baby Blue LP+MP3 (No Sun Recordings)

Mourning Coup is spearheaded by Chandra Melting Tallow of mixed ancestry from the Siksika Nation. With foundations in performance art, her music has made its way into the arms of experimental pop, taking influences from The Eurythmics, Bruce Haack and Freddie Mercury, combining them with the exploration of the relationship of the metaphysical realm, making for one emotionally charged piece.

Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. In 2014 Portland’s Nightfell stormed decisively onto the worldwide metal scene with the forceful debut album The Living Ever Mourn (Southern Lord/Parasitic). Having further fortified their ominous fusion of shadowed disharmony, Nightfell marches forward with Darkness Evermore, a commanding display of power, tension and dynamics.

Parkway Drive – 2xLP+MP3 (Epitaph)

Black vinyl pressing. Parkway Drive is an Australian metalcore band from Byron Bay, New South Wales, formed in 2002. “For the past ten years Byron Bay’s Parkway Drive have been a reliable source of crushing metalcore for a loving fan base they’ve built up through dedicated touring and local mosh pit comradely. They have undoubtedly changed the perception of heavy music in Australia for good, becoming the gateway band for many a young metalhead in training and representing the scene on a global scale. For many up-and-coming bands Parkway Drive are the reason they’ve started a band and, more importantly, the reason they think their band could make it.” – Faster Louder

Protomartyr – A Half Of Seven 7” (Hardly Art)

Protomartyr returns with a brand new track recorded at Candyland in Cincinnati with Mike Montgomery (R. Ring) in late 2014. “Blues Festival” is a relentless, propulsive, and occasionally pissed off tirade about band life bummers that weighs fact against philosophy.

The debut LP from Oakland’s the Saucy Jacks is a mod-power-pop sundae, slathered in a rich syrup of ’60s British Invasion sounds, sprinkled with fuzzy garage-punk riffs, and topped off with juicy melodies so catchy you’ll swear you’ve heard them before (but you haven’t!).

Armando Sciascia – Sea Fantasy [Reissue/1972] LP (Pheon)

Famed for his mondo scores and experimental library music, Armando Sciascia reached a peak in 1972 with this experimental, modern classical, plugged-in dive down to the murky seabed. The twelve superb library cues, taken from the original master tapes move like a jellyfish from beautiful calm drifts to wild electronic tension and all points in between. Respected by many as the finest example of underwater conceptual composing, this has to be one of the greatest examples of not just library music but also the sub aquatic sounds. Think De Roubaix, Jacques Cousteau and bathtime.

John Scofield – Time On My Hands [Reissue/1990] LP (Blue Note)

John Scofield’s guitar work has influenced jazz since the late ‘70s and is still going strong today. Possessor of a very distinctive sound and stylistic diversity, Scofield is a masterful jazz improviser whose music generally falls somewhere between post-bop, funk edged jazz, and R&B. 1990’s Time On My Hands marked Scofield’s first date for the Blue Note label, and it finds the ever innovative guitarist working in an air tight quartet with Joe Lovano (tenor saxophone), Charlie Haden (bass) and Jack DeJohnette (drums) and sharing production duties with Peter Erskine. Part of Blue Note’s 75th anniversary essential vinyl reissue campaign.

Sea Of Storms – Dead Weight LP (Tor Johnson)

Dead Weight sounds like a rock record from a time when Danzig and Smashing Pumpkins were considered fresh, filtered through the distilled punk essence of late-1990s angsty indie rockers like The Get Up Kids and Blank.

See Through Dresses – End Of Days 12” (Tiny Engines)

This six-song 12″ EP is indebted to classic post-punk and new wave artists of the ‘80s; however, their sonic footprint more closely resembles the textural treatments of ‘90s dream-pop and shoegaze.

Blowin’ The Blues Away is an album by jazz pianist Horace Silver, originally released in 1959, and features performances by Silver with Blue Mitchell, Junior Cook, Gene Taylor, and Louis Hayes. Part of Blue Note’s 75th anniversary essential vinyl reissue campaign.

Fifth album (and second of 2015) by Austin’s Spray Paint. This album was recorded in the middle of a tour by modern madman Chris Woodhouse. They cited Rhys Chatham, Sonic Youth, This Heat, Brainbombs, Jesus Lizard, and The Fall when we asked them who they were ripping off this go-around.

Steel Pole Bathtub – Tulip [Reissue/1990] LP (Sinister Torch)

Tulip is Steel Pole Bath Tub at their best. A twisted noir detective story on a bad acid trip, it’s sonically unrelenting, filled with foreboding and it unfolds over repeated listens. There is darkness here. A psychedelic juggernaut of careening guitar slammed up against a wall of brutal bass and punctuated by the bash and crash of toms and cymbals all with an eerie soundscape exploded over the top. This transcendent noise was on Steve Albini’s “A List” in 1991 and it still feels fresh and avant today.

Tedo Stone – Marshes LP+MP3 (This American Music)

Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. “Tedo Stone’s rock ‘n’ roll origin story seems almost too authentic to be real, the type you might expect from some fabled early 20th century bluesman, but certainly not from a modern-day twenty-something with a Bandcamp page. But Stone did in fact grow up in a musical family in Covington, Georgia, a small town you might happen to find yourself in if you somehow managed to get lost trying to make your way from Atlanta to Athens. By the age of 12, Stone was already well on his way, fronting a band that he toured through the motorcycle bars of greater Covington. A more badass way to hone your chops, we cannot imagine. By 2013, Stone was all grown up and living in Atlanta when he released his first proper album, Good Go Bad. As is often the case with debut efforts, however, Stone didn’t yet feel like he’d truly come into his own. That would change soon thereafter when he started playing around Athens and developing a raw, often-snarling, often-sweet live sound that’s about as close to the guts of American rock ’n roll as one can get, albeit with a little psychedelic undercurrent. Think Dinosaur Jr. meets Neil Young meets a mason jar full of sweet tea and bourbon before mason jars started trending on Etsy (go ahead and throw a smidge of Deerhunter in there, too)” – Impose. Red vinyl.

Sultan Bathory – Right On b/w Anthropomorph 7” (Slovenly)

Italian freakbeat swamis Sultan Bathory are back with a swank new 7”. “Right On” is a catchy jangle-pop hit, with “Anthropomorph” on the flip setting you straight with a crooked, driving beat and a robust dose of feedback.

Face Disappears After Interrogation is a raw and severe experiment in modular synth, rhythm box and tape echo. Deceptively simple pulses oscillate from ear-to-ear forming head-nodding, brain-scrambling rhythmic patterns that could loosely be described as ‘techno.’

McCoy Tyner – Expansions [Reissue/1969] LP (Blue Note)

Expansions is the tenth album by jazz pianist McCoy Tyner and his fourth released on the Blue Note label. It was recorded in August 1968 and features performances by Tyner with Woody Shaw, Gary Bartz, Wayne Shorter, Ron Carter, Herbie Lewis, and Freddie Waits. Part of Blue Note’s 75th anniversary essential vinyl reissue campaign.

Upset – ’76 10”/Cassette (Lauren)

New EP this L.A. pop/punk powerhouse featuring members of Best Coast, Vivian Girls, Hole, Slutever. ‘76 is the follow up to their critically acclaimed debut, “She’s Gone,” which Pitchfork called a “whirlwind of instantly likeable sticky-catchy pop punk” and Rolling Stone called “bright & spare, tough & tender.”

Useless ID – Redemption [2005] LP (Kung Fu)

First time on vinyl — limited edition translucent clear pressing. Despite being one of the few Israeli punk outfits to break into markets like the US and Japan, Haifa’s Useless ID are no mere anomaly. With a heavy influx of pop not dissimilar to Blink-182, The Ataris, and No Use For A Name — the band aligned with Descendents founder Bill Stevenson at his Fort Collins mecca, The Blasting Room, for Redemption, one of 2005’s most palatable examples of the subgenre.

Vanum – Realm Of Sacrifice LP (Psychic Violence)

Released last June on CD via Profound Lore – now available on vinyl. Vanum is a new band formed by two of America’s most respected underground black metal musicians: K. Morgan of Ash Borer and M. Rekevics of Fell Voices/Vorde/Vilkacis. Over the years, the like-minded musicians developed a comradeship, sharing split releases and touring together. However, Vanum marks the first time both artists have collaborated musically. With the goal of creating a certain expression of dark atmospheric music with each album, Vanum treads ground familiar to fans of Morgan’s and Rekevics’s respective repertoires.

Four albums in a series that represents a unique moment in African music. 60 years ago West Africa was bursting with energy as first Ghana, and then in 1958 Guinea, gained their independence. In the case of Guinea her birth was sudden and dramatic as France, the then colonial power, withdrew within one month of the vote for independence, famously taking ‘everything including the light bulbs.’ Guinea had to start from scratch, not least in her approach to the arts which the new state wanted to modernize while still remaining true to tradition. This policy was called authenticité. Music was its focus, Syliphone its record label and Guinean music soon became a shining example for other emerging African nations. Under authenticité, musicians were employed by the state, given instruments and encouraged to create a new but traditionally-rooted music. A whole system of regional and national bands was established, with regular competitions to establish precedence. It’s also worth noting that from the Guinean perspective, this “tradition” included Latin music, the African roots of which were considered so obvious as to be beyond debate. Very quickly, three bands rose to the top: Orchestre Paillote, later to become Keletigui et ses Tambourinis; Orchestre du Jardin de Guinée, later to become Balla et ses Balladins; and perhaps the strongest of them all, Bembeya Jazz.

Viands – Temporal Relics LP+MP3 (Midwich Productions)

Viands is a spontaneous collaboration between two auteurs of Detroit’s underground music scene: Joel Peterson and David Shettler (Moon Pool and Dead Band). Temporal Relics, their debut album, is a deep, reflective and fearless alternate-reality keyboard meditation that draws on the pair’s broad musical vision to explore new vistas.

Voag – Way Out [Reissue/1979] LP+7” (Superior Viaduct)

First-time vinyl reissue of 1979 solo debut from The Homosexual bassist, includes bonus 7” of the rare Move EP. For fans of Desperate Bicycles, This Heat, Mark Perry.

Voices From The Lake – Live At Maxxi LP (Editions Mego)

Released last June on CD – now available on vinyl. A marvelous, organic live set of hypnotic, ambient techno that proves the outstanding and elegant craftsmanship of the pair’s (Donato Dozzy and Neel) renowned sonic sculpture work.

Vuelveteloca – Pantera LP+MP3 (BYM)

With Pantera, Vuelveteloca’s fourth album, the band manages to highlight and exploit its best attributes for a strong sound, coherent with their past and yet new. The nine songs that make the record are able to combine passages of dark and heavy rock, agile rhythms and pop melodies in a space rock roller-coaster, redefining the party-rave vibe of the previous albums. The fuzzy guitars drive the sound better through an acid kaleidoscope, unleashing its full power and fury while leaving room for some vocal and synth arrangements.

“Dive, listener, knowing that your next hour will be filled with diversions aplenty: a wheeling circuit of sci-fi sea-shanties and cavalier ballads, narrated from parts unknown; a family of polysemic song-sets; a paranomasaic Liederkreis of harmonic sympathies and knotted hierarchies; a fanfare of brazen puns and martial lullabies, blazing in sorrow and horseplay and love, in turns symphonic and spare, joined by Mellotrons and Marxophones and Moogs, clavichords and celestas and of course the harp, thrumming its threnodies of circadian invasions and avian irruptions and strange loops of Shepard-toned resonant-frequencies and something called goddamned Simulacreage…”

Petal has always been a deeply personal project for songwriter and lead singer Kiley Lotz. Shame, the band’s debut LP three years in the making, is a honest and perceptive exploration of the album’s namesake. These twelve tracks recall the elastic indie rock of Death Cab For Cutie and Pedro The Lion — sometimes somber, sometimes upbeat, but always beautifully and thoughtfully crafted.

Claustrophobic dream events recorded when Bryan Lewis Saunders had a lung infection, made even more tense and surreal by the addition of Arvo Zylo’s magic. The slow, droning cacophony of “The Pleasure Tunnel” picks up depth as it grows. The whistles and wheezes of Saunders are still there, but the noise is enveloping, a bassy drive that closes in. “The Temple Of Paradise” starts more abrasively and settles into whirring, echoing drones – dreamy, then colossal bass. Disconnectedness, jolting and mesmerizing. Includes written transcripts of Saunders’s dreams and a download coupon.

Arvo Zylo – Sequencer Works Volume Two (No Part Of It)

Recorded entirely with a Yamaha Rm1x sequencer in a closet or crawlspace.